Because I love you
by rjwritergirl
Summary: Edmund and Aslan talk, and Edmund finds out about the sacrifice Aslan made for him.


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Hi all, this is my first Chronicles of Narnia fanfiction, I got the idea for this when I was watching The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, to me it didn't look like Edmund knew about Aslan dieing for him, so I wrote this little thing. Please review when you finish reading this! I can only become a better writer by your reviews.

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Edmund sighed as he left the hall. There had been another trial for the supporters of the White Witch. He hated trying them because many of them had seen him with the Witch and would taunt him. _How do you know that he's really a just king? He was on our side. How do you know he's really turned?_ Today however, one of them had said something different. "How can you even look at your brother?", He'd asked Lucy, _knowing what he made Aslan do_?

What did Aslan do? Edmund asked himself, Aslan had done lots for them, but something told Edmund that it wasn't helping kill the White Witch that the wolf was talking about.

Lucy skipped up to him; the trials didn't seem to faze her at all. "Ed, guess what?", She asked excitedly.

"What?" Edmund asked, smiling a bit, it was hard not to get excited about something Lucy was excited about, her moods were infectious.

"Aslan is joining us for lunch!" she grinned. It had been several weeks since they'd last seen Aslan and Lucy had missed the Lion.

"Great!" Edmund said, letting the smile turn into a full grin, he'd have the chance to ask Aslan at lunch; Edmund looked at the clock, ten-thirty. _Only a couple more hours he thought_.

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Later that day at lunch, Edmund chewed his food carefully, now that it was lunch time he was seriously reconsidering asking Aslan about what he'd done for him.

The great Lion looked upon Edmund. Throughout the entire meal the young king had been quiet, it wasn't in the boy's nature to be so quiet and Aslan had a good idea what he was thinking about. Peter had told him what happened at the trial earlier that day. "Edmund, after lunch, let us go for a walk." Aslan said, the boy jumped, he'd obviously been lost in his own thoughts.

"All right," Edmund said, nodding. He went back to his lunch.

After Lunch Edmund waited for Aslan to shake the crumbs from his mane and he got up. Aslan spoke for a moment with Peter and then walked past Edmund saying "Follow me."

Edmund followed him, not knowing where they were going to go, but knowing that if it was with Aslan, it couldn't be bad.

"You are a good king, your brother and sisters have told me you've been most stressed just when dealing with the supporters of the White Witch," Aslan said once they were out of the Castle.

"I know that some of them were forced to do what they did for the Witch. I'm just trying not to punish them for something they didn't believe in." Edmund said quietly, "Because of what I went through. I know what some others went through."

"That's why you are King Edmund the Just, not the King Edmund Who Has a Temper." Aslan said; it took Edmund a moment before he started laughing.

"I do have a temper." He agreed with the lion, still smiling.

"Now, there was something you wished to speak to me about?" Aslan said, sobering.

"Yes, I was wondering what one of the wolves in the trial this morning…well, he said something and I'm not completely sure what he meant." Edmund stammered, turning red.

"You were wondering about the sacrifice I made for you," Aslan said a knowing look in his eye.

Edmund nodded, "Yes." He said quietly. Aslan studied the young king for a moment before saying "Would you please get on my back, Edmund?"

Edmund obeyed, gently grabbing hold of Aslan's mane as the lion said "hold on tight now, we will be running."

Aslan began running and Edmund held on tight. After what seemed like an hour, they slowed and finally stopped. They were near the stone table. "This is where the White Witch killed you." Edmund said quietly.

"Yes, it is." Aslan said. They sat in silence for several long moments before Aslan spoke again. "Why do you think I would bring you here?"

"I don't know, let me think." Edmund said. He stared at the stone table for several long moments before saying "because this is where the White Witch killed you?" he asked.

"But why did the White Witch kill me?" Aslan asked.

"I don't know." Edmund was beginning to feel like a small child in school, about to be reprimanded by a teacher. Aslan however was more caring then most of Edmund's old teachers.

"Your offence was not against the White Witch…" He prodded gently.

"But…" Edmund quickly began.

"Your offence was not against the White Witch, but against me." Aslan said, if Edmund had had the guts to look up at the Lion he would have seen that Aslan was not even looking at the boy, he was staring at the table, as if the memories of the night were plaguing him.

"But…" Edmund started, he stopped this time. He didn't stop because of an interruption; he stopped because he couldn't talk through the tears. "But you were killed! That's not fair Aslan! I hurt you and yet, you took the blame for it! You allowed yourself to be killed!" The boy jumped up now, almost glaring at the Lion who finally turned an eye on the Young King.

"There is a deeper magic then the Witch knew, her knowledge only goes back to the beginning of time. But if she had looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there, a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards."

Edmund had tears falling down his cheeks now "But…you died for me after I hurt you. After I told the Witch where you were, after…" Edmund was interrupted again.

"I died for all of Narnia, for every creature who ever did or will hurt me." Aslan said shortly. "It was you however, who set the stone rolling. If you had not come, if you had not hurt me, I never would have needed to die for you and all those who helped me."

Edmund struggled to talk. The lump in his throat was making it difficult to speak. "Why?" he whispered "I hurt you, why would you die for someone who had betrayed you?"

The Lion came up to the Boy "Because I love you."

It was well after midnight before Edmund got back to Cair Paravel. Peter, who had waited up, didn't say anything he just put his arm around his brother and guided him upstairs. "I'll make the girls let you sleep in tomorrow." He said quietly when they reached the door to Edmunds room.

Edmund smiled and glanced at his older brother "Thanks Pete." He said.

Edmund sighed as he changed into his nightclothes. He was exhausted. He knew he'd fall asleep once he was lying down properly. Nearly an hour later, Edmund was still awake. He had been tossing and turning for the past twenty minutes, unable to find a comfortable spot.

"Ed?" Lucy's voice came from his doorway.

"Yes Lucy?" Edmund asked.

"Do you want to talk about what happened earlier?"

At first Edmund wasn't sure what 'earlier' his sister was talking about; what had gone on between him and Aslan? Or what the Wolf had said at the trial? Finally, Edmund decided that she meant both times. "No, I'm fine, trust me Lucy."

"I do." Lucy said simply, she sat at the edge of her brother's bed and Edmund now sat up so they could see each other better. Once Edmund was sitting properly, Lucy bent over and gave him a big hug. "I think you could use a hug anyway." she said.

"_How does Lucy always know just what I need?"_ Edmund asked himself as he put his arms around his little sister. Less than a month before he would have told Lucy to shove off and stop hugging him, not tonight however. Lucy looked up at him, "Edmund, you're hugging me back!" she noticed.

Edmund smiled and kept hugging her, "Yes." He said shrugging, "I am."

"Why?" Lucy asked, "You never hug me."

"Because I love you," Edmund said.


End file.
